GRAMMAR #5 COURSE

Passive Report
Lesson #14
2022
Tense Passive
Structure Be + V3, e.g., it is shown

Present simple Am/is/are + V3

Present continuous Am/is/are being + V3
Present perfect Has/have been + V3
Past simple Was/were + V3
Past continuous Was/were being + V3
Past perfect Had been + V3
Future simple Will be + V3
Future perfect Will have been + V3
What does it in this sentence refer to?
It was reported that there are more apple varieties than pear varieties.
1. Nothing
2. Unknown subject (people/someone)
3. Something in a previous sentence
How would the sentence be in active voice?
• People/someone reported that there are more apple varieties than pear
varieties.
Passive reporting structures
We use them:
• To sound more formal and impersonal
• To report opinions and facts without naming them, e.g., because we may
not be sure whether they’re correct
For this, we usually use verbs such as think, believe, say, report, know,
consider, hope, understand, suppose etc.
In passive reporting structures, it means people!
For example,
• It has been said that judges are not strict enough.
• This prison is believed to be the most secure in the state.
Forming impersonal passive
We start with it (=people)!
It + Passive Reporting Verb + Clause
• Everyone had thought that he was innocent. > It had been thought that he was
innocent.
• Nobody has ever said that the legal system is perfect. > It hasn’t ever been said that
the legal system is perfect.
When we start with the subject:
Everyone feels that she’s a successful Minister of Justice. > She is felt to be a
successful Minister of Justice.
Subject + Passive Reporting Verb + to Verb
1. We take the subject of the second sentence: She
2. Add the reporting verb in passive from the first sentence: is felt
3. Add to + the verb from the second sentence in the correct form: to be
How do we choose the correct verb form?
Carries an idea of present/future: to + infinitive
• They say she works hard. She is said to work hard.
• They think she will become a criminal. She is thought to become a criminal.

In continuous form: to be V-ing [OR to have been V-ing]

• They believe he is having an affair. He is believed to be having an affair.

Carries an idea of the past (includes present perfect!): to have + V3

• They say she played well. She is said to have played well.
• They said she has done well. She was said to have done well.
1. People believe that English is the most widely spoken language
• It _______ that English _____ the most widely spoken language.
• English ______ to ____the most widely spoken language.

2. Police said that it was Peter who caused the accident.

• It _______ that it was Peter who _______ the accident.
• Peter ________ to ________ the accident.
Rewrite each sentence, so that meaning
stays the same
1. People believe that education 3. Most of us feel that freedom is very
prevents crime. important.
It … It …
Education … Freedom …
2. Everyone knows that life in prison is 4. The papers say that the police found
hard. some fingerprints at the scene of the
crime.
It …
It …
Life …
The police …
3. A journalist reports that they are leaving Las Vegas tomorrow night.
• They _____________________________________________________________
4. The lecturer thought that Columbus never realized that he had discovered America.
• Columbus _________________________________________________________
5. Their parents thought that the teenagers were dancing at the disco.
• The teenagers ______________________________________________________
6. Everybody thinks that she sings beautifully.
• __________________________________________________________________
7. The children reported that their friends were swimming when they disappeared.
• __________________________________________________________________
3. They are reported to be leaving Las Vegas tomorrow.
4. Columbus was thought not to have realized that he had discovered
America.
5. The teenagers were thought to have been dancing.
6. She is thought to sing ……
It is thought that she sings….
7. Their friends were reported to have been swimming when….
It is reported that their friends were swimming when…..
Put into passive, starting with the subject
8. People believed that they had killed the animals during the night.
9. My friends think that my parents are the best parents in the world.
10. They believed that the horse was a present.
11. People think that drugs are very dangerous.
12. They knew that Mr. Brown was stealing iron from the factory.
8. They were believed to have killed the animals during the night.
It is believed that they had killed the animals……
9. My parents are thought to be the best parents………….
It is thought that my parents are the best….
10. The horse was believed to have been a present.
It was thought that the horse was a present.
11. Drugs are thought to be very dangerous
It is thought that drugs are very…..
12. Mr Brown was known to have been stealing iron from the factory
It was known that Mr Brown was stealing…..
HW: WB pg. 71 ex. 3 + exercise on
educational materials